2 Kings 10:17 kjv
And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
2 Kings 10:17 nkjv
And when he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah.
2 Kings 10:17 niv
When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab's family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah.
2 Kings 10:17 esv
And when he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke to Elijah.
2 Kings 10:17 nlt
When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he killed everyone who was left there from Ahab's family, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.
2 Kings 10 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 21:21 | "Behold, I will bring disaster upon you...I will utterly burn you up..." | Elijah's prophecy against Ahab's house. |
| 2 Kgs 9:7 | "You are to strike down the house of Ahab your master...for the blood..." | Elisha's explicit divine commission to Jehu. |
| 2 Kgs 10:11 | "...all who remained to Ahab in Jezreel, with all his great men...until he left none remaining." | Jehu's prior extermination of Ahab's descendants. |
| Isa 40:8 | "The grass withers...but the word of our God will stand forever." | The eternal steadfastness of God's word. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that He should lie...Has He spoken, and will He not do it?" | God's unfailing commitment to His promises/threats. |
| Zech 1:6 | "...Just as the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us according to our ways..." | God's words and judgments are perfectly fulfilled. |
| Deut 7:16 | "...you shall destroy all the peoples whom the LORD your God will give over to you..." | Command to utterly eliminate sources of idolatry. |
| Exod 34:7 | "...but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity..." | God's justice ensures punishment for persistent sin. |
| 1 Kgs 14:10 | "...I will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam...every male..." | Pattern of God's judgment against wicked royal lines. |
| 1 Kgs 15:29 | "...struck down all the house of Jeroboam; he left to Jeroboam not one who breathed..." | Baasha fulfilling prophecy against Jeroboam's house. |
| 1 Kgs 16:3 | "...I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and will make your house like the house of Jeroboam." | Prophecy of destruction against Baasha's idolatrous house. |
| Psa 33:9 | "For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm." | God's powerful word bringing things to pass. |
| Psa 119:89 | "Forever, O LORD, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens." | The permanence and immutability of God's word. |
| Prov 10:29 | "The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, but destruction to evildoers." | Contrasts God's protection and judgment. |
| Isa 46:10 | "...declaring the end from the beginning...My counsel shall stand..." | God's comprehensive sovereignty over time and events. |
| Jer 1:12 | "Then the LORD said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.'" | God's active oversight in fulfilling His prophecy. |
| Jer 44:28 | "...Then all the remnant of Judah...shall know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs." | Confirms God's word prevails over human will. |
| Ezek 12:28 | "...For I will speak the word, and perform it...It shall be no longer delayed..." | God's promises of judgment will not be postponed. |
| Matt 5:18 | "For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota..." | Emphasizes the unwavering reliability of God's word. |
| 2 Pet 3:9 | "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise...but is patient toward you..." | God's timing for fulfilling promises, including judgment. |
| Rom 9:28 | "For the Lord will carry out His sentence upon the earth fully and without delay." | Divine judgment is definitively and entirely executed. |
| Heb 4:12 | "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..." | The powerful and discerning nature of God's word. |
2 Kings 10 verses
2 Kings 10 17 Meaning
2 Kings 10:17 describes the thorough execution of divine judgment against the remaining members of King Ahab's household and lineage in Samaria. When Jehu arrived at the capital, he completely destroyed everyone associated with the house of Ahab, bringing to a conclusive fulfillment the specific prophetic word spoken by God through the prophet Elijah against Ahab's wicked dynasty. This act signifies the Lord's unwavering faithfulness to His declared judgment.
2 Kings 10 17 Context
Chapter 10 of 2 Kings depicts Jehu's divinely appointed, yet ruthlessly executed, purge of the Omride dynasty and Baal worship in Israel. Having been anointed by Elisha to strike down Ahab's house (2 Kgs 9:7-10), Jehu begins his reign with a violent coup. He first slays King Joram and King Ahaziah of Judah (Ahab's relative). Subsequently, he orchestrates the killing of Ahab's seventy sons in Jezreel, sending their heads to Samaria. After meeting Jehonadab, Jehu proceeds to Samaria, the capital, to complete the extermination of Ahab's remaining supporters and the eradication of Baal worship. Verse 17 specifically details the final, complete destruction of Ahab's family and associates within the capital, directly fulfilling the prophecy delivered years prior by Elijah due to Ahab and Jezebel's profound idolatry and injustice.
2 Kings 10 17 Word analysis
- And when Jehu came to Samaria: This signifies the strategic final phase of Jehu's cleansing mission, moving from Jezreel to the very heart of Ahab's former power and influence, the capital city.
- he struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Samaria: The Hebrew verb is naka (נָכָה), meaning "to strike, smite, kill." It highlights Jehu's decisive and violent action. "All who remained" (כָּל־הַנִּשְׁאָרִים, kol ha'nish'arim) emphasizes a complete sweep, ensuring no survivor who could perpetuate the dynasty or its influence. "The house of Ahab" (בֵּית אַחְאָב, beit Aḥ'av) refers not just to his immediate children but also to his broader extended family, close associates, high-ranking officials, and perhaps loyal servants—anyone intrinsically linked to and empowered by his lineage and reign. This implies a thorough purge to uproot all residual influence of a dynasty known for extreme wickedness and idolatry.
- till he had destroyed them: The Hebrew verb used is shamad (שָׁמַד), meaning "to annihilate, exterminate, utterly destroy, lay waste." This word carries a strong connotation of absolute destruction, often used in contexts of divine judgment, emphasizing the totality and irreversibility of the action. It echoes the language of ḥerem (devotion to destruction), though not explicitly used, reinforcing the severity and completeness.
- according to the word of the LORD: (כְּדְבַר יְהוָה, kedvar YHWH). This phrase is central to understanding the verse's theological significance. It confirms that Jehu's actions, however brutal, were in direct obedience to, and fulfillment of, divine decree. It shifts the primary agency from Jehu to God's sovereign will and righteous judgment.
- which He spoke through Elijah: (אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד אֵלִיָּהוּ, asher dibber b'yad Eliyyahu). This specifies the particular prophecy being fulfilled, pointing back to Elijah's powerful pronouncements against Ahab's house for his egregious sins, particularly the murder of Naboth and his active promotion of Baal worship (1 Kgs 21:20-24). "Through Elijah" (b'yad Eliyyahu, literally "by the hand of Elijah") indicates that Elijah was God's chosen human instrument or agent for delivering this divine message.
2 Kings 10 17 Bonus section
- The scale of destruction against the house of Ahab was a divine object lesson. It showed that God utterly detested the idolatry and wickedness introduced and propagated by Omri, Ahab, and Jezebel, and that He would remove any root that nourished such rebellion in His land.
- While Jehu was the instrument of divine judgment, his zeal for the Lord was later viewed with mixed approval. Hosea 1:4 prophesies judgment on Jehu's house for the "bloodshed of Jezreel," suggesting that while the act of purging Ahab's house was divinely commanded, Jehu's underlying motives or excessive brutality in other instances (perhaps beyond the specific divine command) incurred God's disfavor, demonstrating the fine line between obedience and human ambition. However, this verse specifically validates the act as God's will.
- The "house of Ahab" as a legal/sociological concept in ancient Near Eastern kingdoms could extend far beyond immediate progeny to include allied families, key administrative officials, and others whose power and status derived directly from the king and his dynasty. The thoroughness of Jehu's purge was designed to dismantle the entire system that supported Ahab's idolatrous rule.
2 Kings 10 17 Commentary
2 Kings 10:17 serves as a stark testament to the unwavering truth and power of God's prophetic word. Following the specific instruction received via Elisha to cut off the house of Ahab (2 Kgs 9:7-8), Jehu proceeds with meticulous, indeed brutal, efficiency. His actions in Samaria represent the final stroke of this divinely mandated purge. The eradication of "all who remained of the house of Ahab" highlights the completeness of God's judgment against a dynasty that had thoroughly corrupted Israel with Baal worship and violence. The text is unambiguous: this was not merely an ambitious king consolidating power, but a precise fulfillment "according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah." This emphasis underscores divine sovereignty over human history and the ultimate accountability of kings and nations before God. It reinforces that while the delay of judgment may occur, it will ultimately be delivered without fail, validating the truth of God's promises and threats alike. This event was a pivotal moment in Israel's history, meant to demonstrate Yahweh's supremacy over Baal.